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05/12/2008 by admin.
The government yesterday launched a new anti Cocaine ad campain warning youngsters about the risks of Cocaine use and Cocaine addiction.
The 1 million pound campaign which will appear on television and the internet is to highlight the dangers posed by Cocaine to the users health & personality as well as the social costs of Cocaine use and Cocaine addiction.
Cocaine a class A drug was once only popular in fashionable London society, but has now gained in popularity across the whole country and across all social groups.
The campaign has been launched by TalktoFrank, the government funded campaign which provides young people and their families with information & advice about drugs.
Dawn Primarolo, the Health Minister, said: “There is a darker side to using cocaine which this campaign exposes. Addiction, personality change and the risk of heart attacks – even at a young age – can ruin the health and lives of cocaine users and their families.”
Click here to visit the TalktoFrank website and find out more about Cocaine use
Click here to visit BBC news and watch the video about Cocaine use
Posted in Talk to Frank, Cocaine Addiction, Drug & Alcohol Addiction, Cocaine, Teenagers | 1 Comment »
14/11/2008 by admin.
Detecting alcohol is simple and easy with modern biotechnology. A simple dip strip test is available which can either be used in saliva to give an immediate measure of the blood alcohol concentration, or in any liquid to detect the presence of alcohol.
If used in liquids other than saliva, the alcohol test strip will not be able to show the concentration of the alcohol, as the colour pad is specific to determining blood alcohol levels from human saliva. All that can be determined is the presence of alcohol by a blue green colour pad change. If no alcohol is present, the pad stays ‘off white.’
Results take just 2 minutes. Each foil has colour interpretation guides printed for easy interpretation of results. Alcohol test strips are quick, cheap to buy and easy to use with no additional equipment needed. There’s no need to buy massive quantities, with pack sizes starting from just 3 tests
Posted in Teenagers, Alcohol | 1 Comment »
21/10/2008 by admin.
Home Drug test kits are now available from specialist suppliers over the internet and in some shops. The choice of home drug tests can be confusing, but it can be simple if you first choose which drugs you need to test for and look for these on the test you are purchasing.
Most home drug tests use urine to test for the drugs being excreted. while messy and embarasing to collect, this form of home drug test does offer the longest detecting times for any home test kit. If you choose to test saliva, it will be easier to collect, but the detection times will be a lot less (14-24 hrs for most Drugs)
These codes are commonly used
Urine tests come in simple dip strip formats, cassette tests with pipettes, or panel or multi-panel combinations which simultaneously screen a single sample for a pre-determined group of drugs with individual results for each drug group. some panels come in collection cup systems which contain and retain the sample if needed for confirmation testing.
See home drug test catalogues and options
Posted in Drugs & Mental Illness, Saliva Drug Tests, Drug Testing, Teenagers | 1 Comment »
17/10/2008 by admin.
Just read this surprising article from last weekends Sunday Times about teenagers and drugs in rural areas. It seems that drug use amongst teenagers has even reached the quaint village of Tobermory in North West Scotland.
Tobermory is the capital of Mull, a beautiful and idyllic island on the west coast of Scotland. I spent many a happy summer there as a child, camping with my family.
Click here to read the full story
Posted in Teenagers, drugs | No Comments »
14/10/2008 by admin.
Just read this article today by and thought I would share it with you.
It is a very personal & sad story of how a daughters heroin addiction has affected not only her, but her whole family. Gripping reading and very honest.
If you are the parent of a teenager or a healthcare worker involved in helping heroin addicts and their families you should definitely read the full article.
Highly recommended.
Here is an extract from the article
In April last year Kate and Hannah Mayne made quite a splash across these pages. It was a story that they wanted told but dearly wished that they were a million miles away from. Hannah was a gaunt but beautiful 19-year-old heroin addict who, despite a loving family and a life of privilege, had been sucked into the world of habit-feeding. Her mother Kate, a specialist interior designer, was desperately battling for help for a daughter who was slowly killing herself.
In the 18 months since I met them many things have changed, but not for the better. Hannah has collected her first criminal conviction (for shoplifting) and is illegally squatting, having moved addresses six times in the past year.
Kate’s marriage to Hannah’s father, a financial director, has collapsed as the reality of their daughter’s addiction and illness took its toll on the family. And, perhaps inevitably, Kate has suffered a nervous breakdown.
Click here to read the full article
Posted in Heroin, Teenagers, drugs | 1 Comment »
13/10/2008 by admin.
The ability for concerned parents to drug test at home has now been an option for almost 20 years.
Despite this, little research is available on the effectiveness or harm this home test has had, with many assuming the test to be destructive to the relationship, invasive and many claiming it breaches a childs human rights to privacy, (of self destruction, depending on your perspective )
Our view has always been that the best and only person able to decide on the merits and pitfalls of home drug testing is the parent contemplating it.
The commonest home drug test performed in the UK is Cannabis drug testing. This is most commonly performed as a voluntary urine sample test, but there is a growing movement towards saliva or oral fliud testing. Neither can be performed covertly and require a sample to be volunteered by a donor. Results are 97-98% reliable when compared to laboratory methods and results are available in under 10 minutes on site. the technology is really no more complicated than a home pregnancy test.
Most parents implement random testing for only short periods of time following the realisation that drug experimentaion has occured. If implemented properly the testing can motivate avoidance behaviour in the young person who gains a legitmate excuse to say no in peer group settings where experimentation and sharing occur.
If home testing has a negative affect it should be reviewed quickly and professional help for the percieved drug problem sought. Home drug screening will not work for all parents, but for many it has enabled confirmation of their concerns, a quantification of the extent of the problem and a useful monitoring and motivational tool to assist them in managing the problem at an early stage.
More on home drug testing options
Posted in Drug Testing, Teenagers, drugs | No Comments »
03/10/2008 by admin.
Click here to read the full story
Related article
Plan to ban under-21 drink sales goes on despite defeat in Scottish Parliament
Posted in Teenagers, Alcohol | 1 Comment »